The University of Southern California has formally named the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence in recognition of a $200 million gift from Mark and Mary Stevens, one of the largest donations in the university’s history.
USC celebrated the naming at an October 20 event at Epstein Plaza, where the new school name was unveiled on Olin Hall. The gift is intended to help USC recruit researchers and accelerate work involving artificial intelligence and computing across health, medicine, business, security, the arts, and other disciplines.
The Stevens School launched in 2024 and is designed to extend computing and AI capabilities across the university rather than operate as a standalone academic unit. It connects with 22 other USC schools, spanning areas including medicine, business, law, social work, and the arts.
More than 30 computing- and AI-related programs at USC currently enroll thousands of students. The university also welcomed the first class of students into a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence program during the fall 2026 semester.
Mark Stevens is a USC alumnus, trustee, and former partner at Sequoia Capital. His investment career included early-stage investments in companies such as Google, Yahoo, YouTube, and NVIDIA. Stevens said the rapid development of artificial intelligence represents an opportunity for USC to become a leader not only in AI research but also in applying the technology across numerous fields.
The $200 million contribution builds on Mark and Mary Stevens’ previous philanthropic support for USC initiatives involving innovation, neuroimaging, orthobiologics, and athletics.
USC’s computing history extends back more than five decades. The university established its Information Sciences Institute in 1972 and the Department of Computer Science in 1976. USC researchers Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel later helped pioneer the Domain Name System in 1983, while USC professor Leonard Adleman helped establish the field of DNA computing. USC also became the first academic institution to operate a commercial quantum computing system in 2011.
The university said the Stevens School will combine that history with an interdisciplinary model designed to advance AI research while emphasizing responsible and human-centered applications of the technology.
KEY QUOTES:
“Hopefully our gift will propel us to be a leader, not just in AI research, but in how AI is applied to many fields.”
Mark Stevens, USC Trustee And Alumnus
“It’s not just about pushing frontiers. It’s about making sure our progress is responsible, ethical and human-centered.”
Beong-Soo Kim, President Of USC
“The Stevens School may be new, but its story at USC is not. Trojans have been building the future of computing for more than 50 years.”
Gaurav Sukhatme, Dean (Interim) Of The USC Viterbi School Of Engineering And Inaugural Director Of The USC Stevens School
